Jessie J’s influence and power is unmistakable. She has managed to rule the world with her jaw-dropping high notes and catchy songs, earning her a spot as one of the most successful pop singers of our time.
But even as a global pop star, Jessie must never forget where she came from – which begs the question: what is Jessie J’s ethnic background?
Some speculate that the Domino singer is British, with her thick English accent as the main evidence. But is there any truth to this claim? Let’s find out.
Jessie J’s Ancestral Background
Jessie J, birthname Jessica Ellen Cornish, was born to British parents Rose and Stephen Cornish. She and her two elder sisters were raised in Essex, which explains why Jessie would often refer to herself as an Essex girl.
In a 2011 interview with The Late Late Show, Jessie revealed that her father has Irish relatives from county Clare. This means that Jessie does, in fact, have English and Irish blood.
Moreover, fans believe that Jessie’s distant ancestors may have originated from a historic county called Cornwall, given that her surname, Cornish, is exactly the same as the name of the residents who lived in that place.
History also tells us that the surname Cornish is often given to people of Cornwall, which makes this theory more plausible.
Regardless of where Jessie J’s ancestors came from, it is an irrefutable fact that Jessie J is, indeed, British by ethnicity.
What is Jessie J’s Nationality?
Just in case you need a refresher about the difference between nationality and ethnicity, read the short summary below:
- Nationality – refers to a person’s geographical and political identity. It is one’s citizenship to a country.
- Ethnicity – refers to a person’s ancestry and heritage. It is something that only your ancestral bloodline can confer to you.
With that in mind, there are some individuals whose nationality is totally different from their ethnicity. For instance, some are legally registered as Asians even though they are European by blood.
In Jessie J’s case, her ethnicity and nationality are the same. She is British by ethnicity and by law. This is because not only is she an official citizen of England, but she also has British heritage.
Is Jessie J Proud to be British?
Despite her British blood, Jessie J has opened up about her disappointment towards the British community. This is what she said in 2014:
“Home is where my heart is and my heart is with my family so I’ll always be coming back here. But America, at present, is where the work is. … In America they see me as a singer whereas [in UK] I feel that people don’t appreciate my voice. I’ve dedicated my life to singing and I want to be taken seriously. Here it seems that all people want to know is what I’ve had for breakfast and who I’m sleeping with.”
Maybe that’s why Jessie wrote Party in the USA.
In the same interview, Jessie revealed that she has permanently moved to Los Angeles. Still, that won’t change the fact that she’s British!
